The Bridge adapted its services several weeks ago. We repurposed our Recovery and Addictions resources to best support the hospital and acute care needs in our community. We moved our groups to virtual platforms to help keep our families safe and well. We supported all but our most at risk participants at a distance, to ensure the safety of our staff and those who engage in our many programs. Planning is now well underway to begin the gradual transition to the recovery phase of the pandemic.

The Bridge has adjusted how we work to best support the people we serve, and the community in which we work.

May 20, 2020

The Bridge adapted its services several weeks ago. We repurposed our Recovery and Addictions resources to best support the hospital and acute care needs in our community. We moved our groups to virtual platforms to help keep our families safe and well. We supported all but our most at risk participants at a distance, to ensure the safety of our staff and those who engage in our many programs.

Planning is now well underway to begin the gradual transition to the recovery phase of the pandemic. All program managers will be on site the week of the 19th of May, and they will develop tailored plans for their programs and staff to return.

The first treatment cohort of men who struggle with substance use will be welcomed into Bridgeway Intensive Adult Treatment program on the 15th of June. We’ve decreased occupancy at the program to allow residents and staff to distance safely at the site, and there are other program changes underway, but: the services delivered will of course remain holistic, effective and evidence based. The highly skilled staff at Bridgeway are looking forward to getting back to what they do best.

Youth Withdrawal Management Services offered at YD33 will also open their doors to young people under the age of 19 on the 15th of June. The site always allowed for residents to have individual bedrooms, so our ability to house 5 young people at any given time remains unchanged – as does the program generally. We look forward to again offering this vital service, and supporting these most vulnerable of our youth.

Adult Withdrawal Management Services will revert back to housing only 10 participants at any given time. The additional capacity of the past weeks was only available to divert people from the hospital, and in spite of its incredible value we no longer have the space to respond to the demand. Patients will experience the same, expert medical care to help them safely withdraw from alcohol and other drugs.

Our work with young people in the care of the Ministry of Children and Family Development, our support to foster homes and caregivers, and our family counselling programs will gradually transition back to providing more and more in-person service. As with all of our programs, we’ll pace our re-connection with all of our participants in concert with guidance from the Public Health Officer.

We anticipate our group programs will remain virtual for the foreseeable future, but again we’ll keep an eye on the best available health guidance to pace how best to welcome Etcetera, Beyond the Blues, and our many other prevention programs back into the fold. In the meantime, anyone interested in joining these groups online need only to call our front desk at 250-763-0456 or email us at info@thebridgeservices.ca and we’ll make the arrangements.

The senior leadership of The Bridge thanks our funders, donors, staff, participants and partners for their incredible support and grace during this unprecedented time. We have never once felt we’d lost sight of our mission or purpose, and remain so honoured to continue to do this work in our community.